The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-02-05

watered my horse and let him breathe
and took a good drink myself; ane
then we were off again.
1.-THE sur was just beginning to sinl
when l reached the second column; bul
I didn't waste much time there. In les!
than half an hour I was off again or
my way to find the third, upon a fresh
horse which they had saddled for mo
my own being used up.
'.And now the really difficult part o.
my work began in earnest. You know
how soon it gets dark in Africa, and il
wasn't long before found myself steer
ing my way by the stars across u coun
try Of which l knew nothing whatever,
with little chance of being able to ask
my way. since the first nan I mel
would probably shoot me dead on the
spot. 1t was lucky for me that the
moon rose early, for now the desert be.
gan to be ridgy and broken, and my
second horsc-which was nothing like
as good as the first-had already had
more than n narrow escape Of = very
bad stumble.
But all at once, just as l was begin.
ming to think hat l must be nearing
the third column. I heard a sound that
knew only too well, the Arab war-cry
of Allah Ackbar" God is mighty.
and in the moonlight ! could see q
cloud of white mantles and dark faces
coming right down upon me. It's won-
dcrful how quick a mans thoughts are
on the brink of death. Between the
sound of the first yell and my turning
to fly, l seemed to have lived twenty
lives. But l knew that l had no chance.
My horse was no match for theirs. and
they were gaining on me every mo.
ment, and there seemed to be nothing
for it but to sell my life as dearly as J
could.
just then caught sight Of a small,
white dome on Il high mound
= little way ahead, with 4
h%alf-ruined wall round it, and a clump
of seven tall palms in front. l had
seen SO many sketches of it that | knew
it again at once. 1t was the tomb Of
some particularly holy Mohammedan
into which no Arab would dare
to venture; and l knew that if l could
once get in there, I was safe.
One rush brought me up to a gapin
the wall, and at it 1 went, and down
my horse, and over his head |
dew like a rocket; but the next mo
mcnt l was up again, and had
through the low archway
light into the tomb. Just at first l
'ould hardly help laughing to sec how
lonplused the rascals we're. So long
Is stayed where was they couldn't
attack or even fire at me, while they
lac. the additional annoyance of seeing
their sacred place occupied by an un-
believer. tut, after all, it didn't help
me much, for if they chose to stay STILL
must come out some time, and bs
,illed all the same. ,
Suddenly a thought struck me.
emembered that they had not fired at
ne once, nor made any noise except tho
irst yell on catching sight of me. This
made me think that some of our troops
must be not far off, and l knew that the
ound Of firing would bring them down
t once. So | tied a little tri-color sig.
al flag that l always carried to a long
ncd that l found on the floor, and polk
d it up through Il hole in the ROOF.
ust as | expected. the sight of the
rench flag on their holy place drove
len beyond all patience. and although
ley wouldn't fire at the tomb itself,
ley began banging away at the tri-
DIOR with all their might, and yelling
Ike madmen.
''The day was just beginning to
reak, and all at once l caught sight OF
'mcthing glittering in the distance.
ehind the Arabs. Presently, as it
lme nearer, l could make out horses
nd men, and the uniform of our own
ght cavalry. There was yell from
le Arabs, as they tried to face about
meet the charge; but it was too
In a moment our fellows were
nong them. rolling them over like
nepins. and five minutes later, the
NY three wha remained were flying
+ their lives. and l was shaking hands
18th the officer in command Of the
who was no other than my
d school-fellow, Victor Laflew.
"And so. as you see, l escaped death
going down into the grave. "-Davsd
er, IN Golien Days.
go =